Product Lead Jobs in Iowa

Company Details:

W.R. Berkley Corporation is comprised of 60+ businesses alongside Berkley Technology Services (BTS) and other shared services groups.

Here at Berkley Technology Services, the core of our success is our people. Our teams bring their own unique perspective and experiences which enables us to translate the needs of our business to deliver adaptable, secure solutions while providing an unmatched user-focused experience.

Our tagline “Thoughtful Minds | Empowering Possibilities” was crafted with our own teams in mind. At BTS, our teams thrive in Berkley’s decentralized model - leveraging the power of being part of a long standing, heritage brand with extensive expertise while innovation and being entrepreneurial is encouraged.

Internally, we operate as a relatively flat organization valuing communication and feedback. We pride ourselves in an open-door policy where no one is treated differently based on title, fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and engagement.

Mission (what we stand for): We Believe in the value of every voice, Translate needs into capabilities, & Secure the future of Berkley.
Vision (where we’re going): Be the foundation of Berkley through adaptable solutions, resilient environments, and an unmatched experience.

Come join us as we push forward into the future of industry leading technological solutions.

Responsibilities:

The Product Manager serves as a strategic liaison between Technology and WRB Insurance Business Units. This role is responsible for understanding business strategies, operational needs, and regulatory requirements, and translating them into technology-enabled solutions that deliver measurable business value.

The Product Manager partners closely with business leaders, technology delivery teams, architecture, security, and vendors to ensure technology initiatives are well-defined, prioritized, funded, and executed in alignment with enterprise standards and roadmaps. The role balances relationship management, strategic planning, demand management, and project management across multiple insurance functions and business units.

Business Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement

- Act as the single point of contact for assigned insurance operating units for all technology-related initiatives and needs.
- Build trusted relationships with senior business leaders (e.g., Operations, Underwriting, Claims, Actuarial, Finance, Compliance).
- Proactively understand business strategies, operational pain points, regulatory drivers, and market trends impacting insurance operations.
- Facilitate ongoing communication between business and technology teams to ensure transparency, alignment, and shared accountability.

Demand & Portfolio Management

- Facilitate intake, assessment, and prioritization of business technology demands in alignment with enterprise strategy, capacity, and funding models.
- Partner with Product, Architecture, and Delivery teams to shape initiatives into well-defined business cases, roadmaps, and delivery plans.
- Ensure initiatives are aligned with enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, data, and compliance standards by facilitating all necessary approval processes.
- Support annual and multi-year planning, budgeting, and investment prioritization processes.

Delivery Oversight & Value Realization

- Partner with delivery teams to monitor progress, manage risks, and resolve issues impacting business outcomes.
- Ensure business readiness activities (change management, training, communications) are planned and executed.
- Support the tracking and reporting on benefits realization, KPIs, and value delivered against approved business cases.
- Drive continuous improvement based on feedback, metrics, and post-implementation reviews.

Governance & Risk Management

- Ensure initiatives comply with regulatory, audit, data privacy, and security requirements common to insurance environments.
- Participate in governance forums, steering committees, and portfolio reviews as the business-facing technology representative.
- Identify and escalate risks, dependencies, and trade-offs impacting delivery or business value.

Qualifications

- 8+ years of experience in technology-business partnership, IT relationship management, product management, project management, or consulting, preferably within insurance or financial services.
- Strong understanding of insurance operations (e.g., policy administration, claims, underwriting, or billing).
- Proven ability to translate business needs into technology initiatives and measurable outcomes.
- Experience working in complex, regulated, and matrixed organizations.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, or a related discipline. Equivalent experience and/or alternative qualifications will be considered.

Preferred Skills/Experience

- Experience supporting large-scale transformation initiatives (digital, core system modernization, data, automation).
- Familiarity with Agile, Product, or hybrid delivery models.
- Experience with vendor management and third-party solution evaluation.
- Knowledge of enterprise architecture concepts, data platforms, and cybersecurity considerations in insurance.
- MBA or relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, SAFe, ITIL, Product Management).

The company is an equal opportunity employer.